Envelop closing and sealing device.



D. W. LEWIS. ENVELOP GLOSINGYAND SALING DEVICE. .APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1911.

DAVID W. LEVIS, 0F NORWOOD, OHIO.

ENVELOI3 CLOSING AND SEALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteaaug. 26,1913.

Application filed July 14, 1911. Serial No. 638,429.

To all 'LU/wm t may concern Be it known that I, DAviD V. Lnwrs, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Norwood, in the county of Hamilton andvState of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Envelop Closing and Sealing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device used for moistening and closing or sealing the gummed tiaps of envelops or like inclosing or wrapping devices.

The object of my invention is an envelop moistening and sealing device, which is of a simple construction and of quick and precise operation. This object is attained by the means described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of an envelop moistening and sealing machineiembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view thereof, taken transversely of the rolls. Fig. 3 is a side elevation upon a somewhat enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view of the feed rolls.

My device comprises two feed rolls 6 and 7, the lower one o-f which is covered with a material, which absorbs moisture from a water pan 12, which is located beneath it, so as to moisten the gummed edge of an envelop, which is fed between the rolls with the flap forward and with the gummed part downward and a` gravitating fender 19,hung in therear of the feed rolls and in the path of the envelop, so that it will contact with the advancing flap and bend it downward and then yield upward, so as to permit the Nenvelop to pass onward between the horizontal rolls 22 and 23, which close the flap and press it against the body of the envelop.

I will now describe the device in detail.

Each of the feed rolls and delivery rolls is journaled at both of its ends in vertical plates, which have feet 3 resting upon a base plate 5, to which they are secured by screws il.

The means for imparting rotation to the rolls.y is as follows: The shafts 25 and 29 of the delivery rolls project beyond the plates 1, and one end of the shaft 29 has mounted upon it an externally toothed pinion 30, which meshes with an intermediate gear 32, which is mounted upon plate 1 adjacent to it, and which meshes with an externally toothed pinion 31, which is mounted upon the end of the shaft 11 of the lower feed roll 6. A handle 2S is secured upon the end of the shaft 29. The rotation which is positively imparted to the rolls 23 and 6, when the handle 2S is turned, is imparted to the rolls 7 and 22 by their frictional Contact with the rolls 6 and 23. The roll 7 is held in contact with roll 6 by gravity. Roll 7 has journal pins 8' at its ends, which are seated in open sockets 9, in the plates 1. The roll 22 is held in contactA with the roll 23 by means of spring devices 26, which contact with the ends of the shafts 25, and whose tension is regulated by adjusting screws 27.

I will now describe the means for regulating the moistening of the envelop: The moisture absorbing material upon the feed roll 6 is preferably a felt covering 10. The upper feed roll 7 has a corrugated indiarubber covering, the grooves 13 in which are placed circumferentially. Thus when the envelop is passed between the feed rolls, the surface thereof which registers with the `grooves is not pressed into contact with the nio-istened flap, but only the portion registering with the ridges between the grooves is pressed into contact therewith. Thus eX- cessive moistening of the envelop, particularly the ungummed portion thereof, is avoided. To prevent the envelop falling into the water pan, and to assist in directing the flap between the rolls, an angular plate er fender 14 is pivoted in frontI of the feed rolls upon a horizontal rod 15, which is secured between the plates 1. A spring 16 is mounted upon the rod 15, and contacts with the fender 14, so as to hold its forward edge 18 yieldingly in contact with the feed rcll, adjacent to the entrance between the feed rolls. To prevent any chance of the envelop from falling in the part of the water pan in the rear of the feed rolls, a string may be extended centrally over the feed roll 6 and attached to the plate 5 by eyelets or other suitable means.

I will new describe a means for mounting the flapretarding fender in place: A hori- Zontal rod 2 is secured between the plates 1 above the upper feed roll. Upon rod 2 a wire frame 21 is secured, so that its end projects above and inthe rear of the upper feed roll. Fender 19 is hung from this rod by means of hooks 20, so that normally, by its own gravity, it seeks a vertical position in the rear o-f the feed rolls and in the path into which an envelop is advanced by the feed rolls. This fender is made of a weight, sli-ch that it will .not yield to the flap of an envelop, but will be swungl upward and outof the path by the body of the envelop, which is stiffer than the Hap.

In operation: A person having a number of envelops to seal, presents one envelop at a time with one of his hands to the feed rolls, while turning the crank 28 with the other hand. He presents an envelop Hapend foremost and `summed side down to the feed rolls. The fender 14- assists him in directing the envelop into the feed rolls. The moisture ofthe felt is applied .in proper proportions to the `gummed flap, because of the yielding downward pressure of the feed roll 7. The corrugated surface of the upper roll prevents the envelop from being excessively moistened. The feed roll advances the envelop, so that the tiap contacts with the fender 19, which turns the iap downward and not upward, because the flap has an initial `tendency to bend in that direction, because of the fold at the base of the flap. The stiifness ofthe body of an envelop ordinarily will cause it to retain its horizontal position, and to lift the fender 19, and to pass onward to the delivery rolls, but any tendency of the envelop to bend downward toward the water pan is overcome by the string- 33. The rolls 22 and 23 receive the envelop from the feed rolls, carry it forward, press the flap closed, and deliver it from the device.

I claim l. In an envelop closing' and sealing machine, the combination of suitable end f ames, two horizontal feed rolls journaled in said end frames, one vbeing superposed above the other, a water pan being mounted in saturating-relation to the lower one of said feed rolls, a pair of Hap closing and sealing delivery rolls, and a gravitating flap retarding fender mounted between the feed rolls and the delivery rolls.

2. In an envelop closing,` and sealing` machine, the combination of end frames, feed rolls with moisture saturating and applying faces and journaled in said end frames, a water pan mounted in saturatingl relation to the lower feed roll, a fender in front of the feed rolls, a flap retarding` gravitating fender in the rear of the feed rolls, a pair of flap closing and sea-ling delivery rolls journaled in said end frames, means between the feed rolls and the delivery rolls for preventing` the envelops dropping downward, and means for rotating` the feed rolls and the delivery rolls.

3. In a device of the character described,

moistening and .feeding means, sealing and delivering means, and a flap retarding` fender normally obstructing` the passage between the moistening and feeding means and the sealing` means and capable of being .moved to an unusual position by an envelop issuing from the moistening` and feeding` means.

4. A device of the character described, comprising` a pair of feed-rolls, a pair of sealing-rolls and a flap retardiug-fender suspended between the feed-rolls and the sealing-rolls and normally obstructingthe passage of an envelop from the feed-rolls to the sealing-rolls.

5. A device of the character described, oomprisinga pair of horizontally-disposed feed-rolls, a, pair of horizontally-disposed .sealing-rolls, a flap retarding-fender suspended between :the feed and the sealing' rolls and extending substantially parallel to each pair and means for rotating` one roll of each pair.

6. In a device of the character described, a pair of horizontally-disposed feed-rolls comprising one positively driven-roll and one vertically moving idler-roll, a pair of horizontally-disposed sealing-rolls comprising one positively driven-roll and one vertically adjustable idler-roll, a suspended flap retarding-fender Ilocated between the separate pairs of vrolls and normally obstructing` the passage between the two pairs of rolls and means for driving' the drivenrolls of each pair.

7. An envelop moistening and sealing` machine comprisingl a moistening roll, a feed roll parallel therewith, a. pair of sealing rolls in rear of the first named rolls and adapted to receive an envelop, flap-edge first, directly from said first named rolls, and yielding flap-turning means between the two pairs of rolls and in the path of the eX- tended envelop-Hap to bend it before the envelopreaches the sealing rolls and then yield to the passage of the envelop.

8. An envelop moistening` and sealing machine comprising moisteningrolls, sealing mechanism spaced from the moistening` rolls a distance to receive the Hapedge of an envelop fed thereto `from the moistening rolls and a yielding fiap bender extending,` into the pathof the extended envelop flap to first bend it and then yield to the passage of the envelop to the sealing mechanism.

JOHN ELIAs JoNus, Lonnrra LUCK.

.Copies offthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

fl() i 

